Dog due date calculator
One date in. Her due date, when to confirm the pregnancy, when to count the puppies, and the day the box goes in.
Enter the date she ovulated or was bred, and every date that follows appears here.
General educational information and estimates only—not veterinary advice or a diagnosis. No veterinarian-client-patient relationship is created. Confirm care with a licensed veterinarian; for urgent concerns, contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic now.
Example: ovulated Sep 1
- Day 21, Tue, Sep 22: Confirm
- Day 28, Tue, Sep 29: Scan
- Day 45, Fri, Oct 16: Box in
- Day 55, Mon, Oct 26: X-ray count
- Day 58, Thu, Oct 29: Temperature watch
- Day 63, Tue, Nov 3: Due
- Day 66, Fri, Nov 6: Call your vet
What goes in by day 45
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Confirming the pregnancy, and counting the litter
The four ways to confirm a pregnancy, when each works, and why the radiograph is the one that gives a count.
What this tells you
Enter the date she ovulated and you get every date that follows: when a blood test can confirm the pregnancy, when a scan is worth doing, when a radiograph gives you the count, and when she is due.
Each one has a window rather than a single day, because that is how the biology works.
The four ways to confirm
| Method | When | What it tells you | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxin blood test | Day 21 to 25 | Pregnant or not | Does not count puppies. Earliest reliable option. |
| Ultrasound | Day 25 to 30 | Pregnant, viability, heartbeats | Undercounts by one to two. Best for viability. |
| Abdominal palpation | Day 28 to 32 | Pregnant, roughly | Free, skill-dependent, and a narrow window. |
| Radiograph | From day 55 | The count | Skeletons calcify around 45; reliable from 55. |
Most breeders use one of these. Which one depends on what you need to know and when. A relaxin test at day 22 answers “is she pregnant” three days before a scan can, and answers nothing else. A radiograph at 55 is the only one that gives a count you can order supplies against.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual — gestation length and pregnancy diagnosis timing.
Typical timings, not medical advice. Confirm dates and viability with your repro vet — progesterone and ovulation timing is more precise than counting from a mating.
Printable
Pregnancy and breeding record
Breeding dates, the confirm test, the scan and the X-ray count on one sheet.
Download the sheetFrequently asked
63 days from ovulation, give or take two. Counted from an LH surge it is 65. Counted from a breeding date it is anywhere from 58 to 72 days, because a mating and conception do not line up closely enough to name one day.
A relaxin blood test, from day 21 to 25. It answers yes or no three days before a scan can, and it answers nothing else.
Puppies lie on top of one another along both uterine horns, so a scan misses one or two. Use the scan for viability and heartbeats. Use the radiograph for the count.
Only if you want both answers. The scan, from day 25 to 30, tells you she is pregnant and the puppies are viable. The radiograph, from day 55, tells you how many — the number you plan supplies and whelping around.
Between day 28 and 32 a vet can often feel them by palpation. It is free, but it depends on the vet's skill, the window is narrow, and it does not give a count.
Enter it and you get a window of 58 to 72 days instead of one date. If she was mated more than once, use the first mating. Progesterone timing from your vet narrows it to 63 days, give or take two.
It depends which date you counted from. From a breeding date, day 58 is the start of the normal window. From ovulation, she is due around day 63, so labor at 58 is early — call your vet. Either way, her twice-daily temperature checks should already be running.
Counting from ovulation, call your vet at day 66. No labor by then is a conversation, not a wait. Counting from a breeding date the window runs to 72, but call anyway so your vet can check on her and the puppies.